Preview — The Book of Shiva
by Namita Gokhale

The Book of Shiva

Shiva: Destroyer and Protector, Supreme Ascetic and Lord of the Universe. He is Ardhanarishwara, half-man and half-woman; he is Neelakantha, who drank poison to save the three worlds-and yet, when crazed with grief at the death of Sati, set about destroying them. Shiva holds within him the answers to some of the greatest dilemmas that have perplexed mankind. Who is Shiva?Shiva: Destroyer and Protector, Supreme Ascetic and Lord of the Universe. He is Ardhanarishwara, half-man and half-woman; he is Neelakantha, who drank poison to save the three worlds-and yet, when crazed with grief at the death of Sati, set about destroying them. Shiva holds within him the answers to some of the greatest dilemmas that have perplexed mankind. Who is Shiva? Namita Gokhale examines this question and many others that lie within the myriad of stories about Shiva. Even as she unravels his complexities, she finds a philosophy and worldview that is terrifying and yet life affirming-an outlook that is to many the essence of Indian thought....more

Community Reviews

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.General Note:This is a small book that is a summary of the God Shiva and his role in Hinduism and Indian culture. I picked it up at my classical Hatha yoga center just hoping to become more educated about Shiva's role in yoga philosophy. I found it useful to my meditation practice daily.

General Symbolism associated with Shiva, the Lord of the Dance and Destroyer:A third eye-The extra eye represents the wisdom and insight that Shiva has. It is also believed to be the source of his untamed energy.General Note:This is a small book that is a summary of the God Shiva and his role in Hinduism and Indian culture. I picked it up at my classical Hatha yoga center just hoping to become more educated about Shiva's role in yoga philosophy. I found it useful to my meditation practice daily.

General Symbolism associated with Shiva, the Lord of the Dance and Destroyer:A third eye-The extra eye represents the wisdom and insight that Shiva has. It is also believed to be the source of his untamed energy. On one occasion, when Shiva was distracted in the midst of worship by the love god, Kama, Shiva opened his third eye in anger. Kama was consumed by the fire that poured forth, and only returned to life when Parvati intervened.A cobra necklace-This signifies Shiva's power over the most dangerous creatures in the world. Some traditions also say that the snake represents Shiva's power of destruction and recreation. The snake sheds its skin to make way for new, smooth skin.The vibhuti-The vibhuti are three lines drawn horizontally across the forehead in white ash. They represent Shiva's all-pervading nature, his superhuman power and wealth. Also, they cover up his powerful third eye. Members of Shaivism often draw vibhuti lines across their forehead.The trident-The three-pronged trident represents the three functions of the Hindu triumvirate....more

This is a very small book - it is roughly 128 pages, and each page is roughly 2-3 paragraphs. I consider myself a slow reader, and even I could easily have finished this book in a single day if I had not paced myself.

However, the size is deceiving; the pages pack a lot of content, and the content continuously jumps between: well-known stories of Lord Shiva, explanations of some of His various manifestations (names and forms), places and means of Shiva worship throughout India, and comparisons/poThis is a very small book - it is roughly 128 pages, and each page is roughly 2-3 paragraphs. I consider myself a slow reader, and even I could easily have finished this book in a single day if I had not paced myself.

However, the size is deceiving; the pages pack a lot of content, and the content continuously jumps between: well-known stories of Lord Shiva, explanations of some of His various manifestations (names and forms), places and means of Shiva worship throughout India, and comparisons/possible influences to and from religious figures from other cultures (such as Orion and Dionysus).

When I was reading this book, I was looking for information and meaning. This book has a lot of information, but because it tries to pack in so much information into such little space, everything presented is shallow and only at surface-level. I finished this book without really grasping any additional meaning from when I started it.

The author does state at the beginning that the writing of the book was an act of "devotion, not presumption." Maybe that's where I went wrong; this book could have been meant to be a celebration of Lord Shiva more than anything.

Nevertheless, if Lord Shiva is an interest to you, it is worth a read....more